Sofia Vergara Is 40 Today, Believe It or Not

She grew up speaking both Spanish and English and was raised Catholic. Growing up, she was called the Spanish word for "toothpick." She explained, "I suffer because everyone was more voluptuous than me. In my culture a skinny girl has nothing going on."

Apparently, things changed. While walking on a Colombian beach, she was discovered by a photographer who offered her modeling work. She worked as a runway model in Bogota, and was a co-host on "Fuera de serie," a travel series. The show made her a star in Latin America.

After her older brother Rafael was murdered, Sofia Vergara moved with her son and mother to Miami. She became a host of Univision's game show "I Dare You."

Most famous for her role on the Emmy-winning sitcom "Modern Family," Sofia Vergara has been nominated for her work with a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. She told USA Today of her character, "It's very close to me. I'm a mother with a kid, I'm an immigrant in this country.I can show a little bit of my country to the States, to the world."

Sofia Vergara has also voiced the role of Carmen in the 3-D sequel of the film "Happy Feet 2." Throughout her career, she has had roles in TV shows such as "Entourage," and films "Meet the Browns" and "Madea Goes to Jail." Most recently, she appeared in the Farrelly brothers' "The Three Stooges."

When asked about a straight-to-video movie she did with Ray Romano and Kevin James where she played a transsexual, she said, "I look like a transsexual anyway. I'm a woman, but I'm super-exaggerated with my boobs, my ass, my makeup, and my accent. When I get ready for an event, I always look at myself in the mirror and say, 'I look like a transvestite. I love it.'"

Sofia Vergara does more than act. She executive produced the Spanish version of "Desperate Housewives." And in 2009, she made her Broadway debut playing Mama Morton in "Chicago." Sofia Vergara was also named the new face of CoverGirl. She even announced she's designing a clothing line for K-Mart.

In 2012, Forbes magazine said Sofia Vergara was the highest-earning woman in U.S. television with an estimated take of $19 million.

Sofia Vergara got married at 18 to her childhood sweetheart and gave birth to their son in 1992. The marriage didn't work out and the couple divorced soon after. She told the Sun-Sentinel, "My life as a mother has been hard, but not a nightmare. I do like all working moms do. No life is perfect. What I do, it's part of life."

Sofia Vergara lives in Los Angeles with her son Manolo. She is reportedly engaged to businessman boyfriend Nick Loeb.